A big wedding was never in the cards, I didn't want to put that on my FIL...he had 7 daughters and busted his butt raising 10 kids. My wife didn't want a big wedding either. We were married by the church about 20 years ago, when I converted to Catholicism.
No regrets, though I think it's better for children to arrive after a couple of years of marriage. It's truly life changing to become a parent, but it can put a strain on relationships.
<:-)